


Things You Wish You Knew

by Heart_of_a_Dragon



Category: Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied Violence, Just a dash because Dark demanded it, Massage, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 17:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16664917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heart_of_a_Dragon/pseuds/Heart_of_a_Dragon
Summary: In which Dark discovers a talent he never knew the Jims had.





	Things You Wish You Knew

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bi_Duckling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bi_Duckling/gifts).



> Got the idea from @Bi_Duckling and just absolutely ran with it. 
> 
> It took me a few days to work up the motivation to write, but man I'm proud of this if only because I wrote most of this in one straight 5 hour writing binge and this is my longest word count in one writing session to date, so there's that. XD

It was completely an accident how Dark found out. 

Dark had just returned from a… meeting with Antisepticeye. As it happened, this turned out to be one of those meetings where Anti lost patience with one of Dark’s schemes and provoked him into a fight. Fortunately, other egos were nearby to hear them and separate the two darkest egos before the fight got too messy, but Dark still managed to get in a couple of bruising hits on Anti before they were interrupted. Still, Anti had managed in retaliation to wrench his left arm, and now the muscles on that side were throbbing from the abuse. 

Since pulled muscles were relatively light compared to the long list of injuries Dark had dealt with, he opted for simply returning to his room. He swiftly stalked through the rooms of the Iplier home, but turning around a corner he ran into the Jim twins. Specifically, he ran into reporter Jim, the more vocal of the twins. Dark reached out to catch the other as Jim grabbed Dark's injured shoulder to steady himself. Both twins’ eyes snapped to Dark, who didn't move when the bad shoulder was grabbed, but his aura twitched in a way the Jims recognized.

Jim softly called “Dark?” with that innocent but concerned manner only a Jim could manage. 

Dark rolled his shoulder to gently dislodge the hand there and made to move past the twins with an “Excuse me,” but Jim caught his hand before he could fully leave. Looking back, Dark saw that the twins were giving him a concerned look, but it was less innocent and more evaluating. Dark's confusion only rose higher when they gave each other a decisive nod and started moving.

Camera Jim, who sometimes went by James to avoid confusion, immediately turned back the direction the two had come from. Jim pulled Dark along the other direction. A couple of turns later Dark knew they were headed for Dr. Iplier's med rooms and pulled Jim to a stop. The moment Jim looked back in confusion, Dark tried to tug his hand back without hurting the other. “I have no wish to see that blithering, pretentious doctor. Not for something as minor as this.” 

Jim was already shaking his head before Dark was finished. “He isn’t here right now, he’s off at a conference with Dr. Schneeplestein. We want to show you something.” 

Dark made a small twitch of confusion before his expression smoothed over. “We?” 

Jim squeezed Dark’s hand before lightly tugging it. “Dark, please. Trust me?” 

Trust was a lot to ask for. For the majority of the egos, Dark most certainly not trust them to take him anywhere. If it wasn’t an outright trap to distract him while they tried to pull a stunt, it was definitely a colossal waste of time. Dark had better things to do than watch Wilford murder hs latest interview victim after a painfully drawn out series of increasingly delusional questions, or to help Edgar expand his abduction ring of children who grow ever more pitiful. Mark’s audience was composed of people, and people can be so very fickle. Making sure they had the attention they needed to survive, much less grow, required careful monitoring and grooming. 

However, Dark found he had little issue trusting the Jims. They were among the more simpler egos - not in that they lacked intelligence, but that they didn’t require complex desires to make them happy. The Jims (as well as the bumbling-but-well-meaning King of the Squirrels) truly never sought to bother Dark unless they honestly needed him, or wished to share some (usually brief) joy with him. 

Dark hesitated over a minor concern of what James was doing since Jim implied that they both wanted to show Dark whatever it was, but ultimately relaxed his firm stance and allowed Jim to lead him once more.

A few turns later and they arrived at the Doctor’s rooms. Sure enough James was there, but he was waiting by a room Dark couldn’t remember going in. A very curious and somewhat unnerving thing since Dark made a point of knowing this building inside and out. Dark eyed the door as Jim pulled him near, and James entered it with a faint smile. As he followed Jim, Dark observed that the room was set up much like Iplier’s other rooms with one singular distinction - the chair in this room provided a minimalized support surface for the patient. Where the chairs in the other rooms were broad with simple, slightly curved padding, this chair was slimmer with flat but soft padding. Dark vaguely recalled Iplier making his case for one room to have a specialty chair in the event an ego had an injury that was less conveniently located than most.

That still didn’t explain what the Jims wanted to show him. He had approved this chair (or else it would have never made it into their finances) and while he may not have overseen it going into this exact room, he was tangentially aware of its existence. This couldn’t be all they wanted to show him, the Jims typically don’t pull these kinds of stunts. Dark’s concerns were somewhat allayed as James started adjusting the chair while Jim turned back to Dark. “We can help with your shoulder, but this will be a lot easier if you take your shirt off.”

Dark stared at Jim stunned. Neither twin had ever made such a bold request, much less so bluntly, but here Jim was staring at him, expectant but not demanding. Dark suspected that if he chose to just turn around and walk away, the twins would simply go back to doing what they had been in the process of before bumping into Dark. He also knew they would be disappointed at his refusal, and disappointed at not being able to help him.

Dark knew the Jims would be disappointed based on a suspicion that he had been feeding for a while now. The longer time when on, the more Dark suspected that various egos took on aspects of Mark’s personality. Specifically, each ego took on aspects that they were most compatible with. Dark, being who he was, naturally saw a shared ambitious drive between Mark and himself. Wilford shared Mark’s wild imagination and love of theatrics. The Host was practically the embodiment of Mark’s inner storyteller. For the Jims, it originally seemed like they just shared Mark’s curiosity, taking pleasure in simple stories and small adventures. But Dark had noticed more recently that they also seemed to share a more subtle trait. Just like in Mark, they occasionally just seemed to *know* when someone need help, be it physical, mental, or emotional. And this sense of need only seemed to be satisfied when they were truly convinced the one they were helping was well again. 

It was precisely this sense of need that Dark felt even now as the twins patiently waited for his response. Either he would or would not accept their help, and they would let him choose even if they wished he would let them help. Deciding to continue to have faith in the twins, Dark slowly shed his jacket, moving to lay it folded on the nearby counter. Similarly, he took his time loosening his tie, slipping the length through the knot with care before tenderly folding it on top of the jacket. Dark paused, resting his hands on the counter. 

It had been a shock for Mark, the first time seeing him without a shirt. Now Dark always makes a point to know when Mark is coming. Iplier knows because someone had to make sure that Dark would actually survive to heal. The others had seen hints of this - hard to miss it any of the few times he had his sleeves rolled up. With a deep breath, in, out, Dark reaches up for the buttons on his shirt. Slowly, one by one, he gently pushes the buttons through the holes and with each one the shirt falls looser and looser. When at last he had undone all of them, he delicately loosens the buttons on the wrists. There. Nothing left to keep the shirt on his form, as it simply lay there, resting gently on his shoulders. Dark lightly sighed before softly shrugging the crisp shirt off, the fabric making a quiet rustle as it slid down the panes of his back. Another pause, waiting, breath still, before pulling on the sleeves and folding the shirt to lay just as neatly on top of the tie and jacket.

It felt like the whole room, the whole world held its breath in that moment. Then a step just behind him, almost deliberately loud like the owner was announcing their presence. A calloused hand was placed just on top of his shoulder, barely resting there. The hand grew firm in its presence, and with a gentle tug the owner called “Dark? Come here please.” 

This time it was James, the softer, quieter twin. He looked Dark calmly in the eyes, then he turned to Jim and nodded him over to the cabinets behind him. After Jim moved past them, James softly pulled Dark back to the chair. He had Dark lay down, with the chair angled so that Dark’s back would be the highest point - Dark’s legs were at a slight downward angle, and the gentle low angle of the other part of the chair was perfect for Dark to rest his arms on. Moving slowly, the stretch felt good on his sore shoulder. As Dark got settled, Jim brought over a fairly large jar that seemed to be a cream or oil of some sort. The twins rubbed the oil(?) into their hands before getting to work.

It seemed that caring was not the only hidden talent the Jims got from Mark. Dark was not aware the egos could gain passive skills from Mark, but there was no other way to explain what Dark was currently experiencing.

The Jims knew how to massage, and do it *well*.

They moved together, hands gliding in soothing patterns across Dark’s back, starting at the bottom. For now, they stuck with a light touch, gently working the muscles. Special care was given to the scars, hands gently rubbing along them and occasionally one or two hands would leave briefly to get just a touch more oil. Based on the light scent, it reminded Dark of coconut.

It was all too easy for Dark to just let himself get lost in the sensations. He never quite went to sleep, always keeping both eyes locked on the door. Besides the door however, all Dark knew was the alternating touch of hands pressing into his back. Lower, softly, light touches of the fingertip. Fingers smoothly creeping up his spine, out over his ribs, back to the spine, and out over the shoulders. Then they crept back in reverse, spine, ribs, spine, just above the pelvis. Now full hands were pressing into his skin. Large circles that felt like a declawed lion kneading massive paws into his back, firm but blissful. Same as before - pelvis, spine, ribs, spine, shoulders - then back down - spine ribs spine pelvis. Then the fingers came back harder, deeper, loosening knots of muscle like steel cable until it all melted into one blissful puddle. Again going up - pelvis spine ribs spine shoulders - and again going down - spine ribs spine pelvis. More large circles, slowly but surely soothing loosened muscles back into the position they were meant to be in. Again going up - pelvis spine ribs spine shoulders - and again going down - spine ribs spine pelvis. Back to the light fingers, softly pressing into the skin and pressing just enough to be felt, one last check for any lingering knots. Again going up - pelvis spine ribs steps spine jiggling interruption Wilford.

He comes in as usual, larger than life and full of energy. Dark’s name is on his lips, but he falters upon setting eyes on Dark. The twins haven’t stopped, but its lighter now, less focused. For all the world, Dark feels like a large cat that's been laying in the sun. The words that come next slip out lazy and unconcerned with anything. “...Did you need something, Wilford?”

Wilford fumbles a bit. He’s not sure what he expected anymore, but it certainly wasn’t this. “I, uh… Well, I - yes, as a matter of fact. Schneeplestein has come over to discuss what happened with Anti.”

Dark languidly considered it, before nodding his agreement. The twins moved back to give Dark space to get up. James brought over his clothes with a soft smile as Dark rotated into a sitting position. Wil waited, impatient but knowing better than anyone that rushing Dark wouldn’t improve anything and would only make the man annoyed. Dark briskly buttoned his shirt back up and looped the tie over his neck before rising from the chair, jacket over his arm. He gestured for Wil to lead the way. He paused a moment to utter a soft but sincere “Thank You” to the twins before following Wil. 

Wilford looked over Dark one more time before facing forward. “You’ve quite the collection, ol’ chap.”

Dark returned a lazy side-eye, mood much improved after all the twins’ work. “I’m quite the survivor, old friend.”


End file.
